Attacker opens fire at Conn. school where mother worked; 26 killed, including 20 children

Cat McDonald, left, of the Long Island borough of New York, holds a candle as she and Emily Prout of Washington, sit by the White House fence mourning the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct., in Washington, on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. "We're here for the families," says McDonald, "to reflect on the tragedy that's happened." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Jacquelyn Martin, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Summary

A man opened fire Friday inside the Connecticut elementary school where his mother worked as a teacher, killing 26 people, including 20 children, as youngsters cowered in their classrooms and trembled helplessly to the sound of gunfire reverberating through the building.

“There's no words. It's sheer terror, a sense of imminent danger, to get to your child and be there to protect him.”

Richard Wilford, parent

NEWTOWN, Conn. — A man killed his mother at their home and then opened fire Friday inside an elementary school, massacring 26 people, including 20 children, as youngsters cowered in fear to the sound of gunshots reverberating through the building and screams echoing over the intercom.

The 20-year-old killer, carrying at least two handguns, committed suicide at the school, bringing the death toll to 28, authorities said.

The rampage, coming less than two weeks before Christmas, was the nation's second-deadliest school shooting, exceeded only by the Virginia Tech massacre that claimed 33 lives in 2007.

"Our hearts are broken today," a tearful President Barack Obama, struggling to maintain his composure, said at the White House. He called for "meaningful action" to prevent such shootings, saying, "As a country, we have been through this too many times."

Police shed no light on the motive for the attack. The gunman, Adam Lanza, was believed to suffer from a personality disorder and lived with his mother, said a law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to discuss it.

Panicked parents looking for their children raced to Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, a prosperous New England community of about 27,000 people 60 miles northeast of New York City. Police told youngsters at the kindergarten-through-fourth-grade school to close their eyes as they were led from the building so that they wouldn't see the blood and broken glass.

Schoolchildren — some crying, others looking frightened — were escorted through a parking lot in a line, hands on each other's shoulders.

Law enforcement officials speaking on condition of anonymity said that Lanza killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, then drove to the school in her car with at least three guns, including a high-powered rifle that he apparently left in the back of the vehicle, and shot up two classrooms around 9:30 a.m.

A custodian ran through the halls, warning of a gunman on the loose, and someone switched on the intercom, alerting people in the building to the attack — and perhaps saving many lives — by letting them hear the hysteria going on in the school office, a teacher said. Teachers locked their doors and ordered children to huddle in a corner or hide in closets as shots echoed through the building.

Authorities gave no details on exactly how the attack unfolded, but police radio traffic indicated the shooting lasted only a few minutes. State police Lt. Paul Vance said officers arrived instantaneously, immediately entered the school, searched it completely and found Lanza dead.

In addition to the 20 children, six adults were killed at the school; the principal was believed to be among the dead. A woman who worked at Sandy Hook Elementary was wounded.

A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said investigators believe Lanza attended the school several years ago but appeared to have no recent connection to the place.

At least one parent said Lanza's mother was a substitute teacher there. But her name did not appear on a staff list. And the law enforcement official said investigators were unable to establish any connection so far between her and the school.

Lanza's older brother, 24-year-old Ryan, of Hoboken, N.J., was being questioned, but a law enforcement official said he was not believed to have had a role in the rampage. Investigators were searching his computers and phone records, but he told law enforcement he had not been in touch with his brother since about 2010.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the unfolding investigation.

Popular Comments

Or, maybe criminals ignore
laws and do whatever they want, no matter how heinous or irrational. But, the
law abiding victims are dead because they were denied access to legal self
defense tools.More..

9:37 a.m. Dec. 14, 2012

Top comment

no fit in SG

St.George, Utah

Let's hope the next generation can get some kind of hold on this.Years ago there were numerous hospitals (Charter Canyon Hospitals was one
group...we medical professionals did rotations there). These hospitals,
throughout the country
More..

11:10 a.m. Dec. 14, 2012

Top comment

marxist

Salt Lake City, UT

Re: Open Minded Mormon - "The guns are not the problem..." Right, guns
don't kill people, people kill people (oh BTW, with guns).